THE TRAFFIC IN TITLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15563, 21 March 1914, Page 7

THE TRAFFIC IN TITLES.

HONOURS AND PARTY FUNDS. RETORT BY CHANCELLOR. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, March 19. A question was asked in the House ' of Commons to-day by Lord Robert j Cecil (Unionist M.P. for North Hertfordshire) as to whether or not the Ministry's attention had been directed to the resolution of the House of Lords respecting honours and the party funds. Mr. Lloyd George (Chancellor of the Exchequer) replied that the Government was not prepared to make any proposal on the subject. Mr. George Faber (Unionist M.P. for Clapham) asked if the Government was prepared to publish a list of subscribers to the party funds. Mr. Lloyd George retorted: " You'd better address that question to the Leader of the Opposition." STORY BY MR. T. BOWLES. A candid review of the alleged purchase of titles is supplied by Mr. T. Gibson, Bowles, who has sat on both sides of the House of Commons. He asserts that the Unionist funds, which ™ 1874 totalled £20,000, rose to £80,000 m the nineties. The Liberal funds, which were very low in 1876 reached £7000 in 1877, and stood. at £500,000 in 1901, while they were now m^f d L at £4,000,000. He states that £50,000 has been paid for a baronetcy and anything from £150,000 to £400 000 for a peerage. Mr. Bowles declares that on one occasion correspondence passed between a party Whip and a would-be peer The latter refused to pay the required contribution for an honour sought, and the Whip thereupon wrote expressing the fear that his claim to the peerage would not be considered. The disappointed applicant, however, threatened to publish the correspondence if his name were not included m the next list of honours, and. when finally the list was published the name duly appeared. *